Automated network connection sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10187455-B2
Application number	US-201615008387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing automated network connection sharing. Techniques disclosed herein can initiate Internet connection sharing between a first computer and a second computer, wherein the Internet connection sharing enables the first computer to function as a host to provide Internet access to the second computer. If there is a break in the connection, a system determines if the second computer is in proximity to the first computer. If it is determined that the first computer is in proximity to the second computer, the techniques disclosed herein verify access rights. Once the access rights are verified, the system automatically establishes Internet connection sharing between the first computer and the second computer. The techniques disclosed herein enable access to a service for sharing a network connection without requiring user interaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
initiating an Internet connection sharing session between a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the Internet connection sharing session enables the first computing device to function as a host to provide Internet access to the second computing device;
determining a distance between the first computing device and the second computing device based on location data obtained from a location device;
determining, at the first computing device, that the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected;
disabling the Internet access to the second computing device in response to determining that the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected, wherein the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected in response to determining that the distance between the second computing device and the first computing device exceeds a threshold distance;
determining, at the first computing device, that the Internet connection sharing session is to be reinitiated, wherein the Internet connection sharing session is to be reinitiated when the distance between the second computing device and the first computing device is within the threshold distance;
determining, at the first computing device, that access rights for the Internet connection sharing session are valid, in response to determining that the Internet connection sharing session is to be reinitiated; and
automatically reinitiating the Internet connection sharing session between the first computing device and the second computing device, in response to determining that the access rights for the Internet connection sharing session are valid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device comprises a car kit, wherein data for the car kit is communicated to a remote host through the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing at least one identifier of the second computing device at the first computing device in response to initiating the Internet connection sharing; and
retrieving one or more identifiers from the second computing device in response to determining that the Internet connection sharing is to be reinitiated, and wherein the access rights for the Internet connection sharing are determined to be valid if the at least one identifier stored at the first computing device corresponds to the one or more identifiers retrieved from the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to:
receive map data from a resource via the network connection sharing session;
interpret the map data to generate one or more navigational instructions; and
deliver the one or more navigational instructions through an output device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to control one or more security features of a vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein controlling one or more security features of the vehicle comprises:
receiving one or more alerts from one or more services via the network connection sharing session; and
taking one or more actions based on the one or more alerts.

7. A first computing device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the first computing device to
initiate an Internet connection sharing session between a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the Internet connection sharing session enables the first computing device to function as a host to provide Internet access to the second computing device;
determining a distance between the first computing device and the second computing device based on location data obtained from a location device;
determine that the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected;
disable the Internet access to the second computing device in response to determining that the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected, wherein the Internet connection sharing session is to be disconnected in response to determining that the distance between the second computing device and the first computing device exceeds a threshold distance;
determine that the Internet connection sharing session is to be reinitiated, wherein the Internet connection sharing session is to be reinitiated when the distance between the second computing device and the first computing device is within the threshold distance;
determine that access rights for the Internet connection sharing session are valid, in response to determining that the distance between the second computing device and the first computing device is within the threshold distance; and
automatically reinitiate the Internet connection sharing session between the first computing device and the second computing device, in response to determining that the access rights for the Internet connection sharing session are valid.

8. The first computing device of claim 7 , wherein the second computing device comprises a car kit, wherein data for the car kit is communicated to a remote host through the first computing device.

9. The first computing device of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause the first computing device to:
store at least one identifier of the second computing device at the first computing device in response to initiating the Internet connection sharing; and
retrieve one or more identifiers from the second computing device in response to determining that the Internet connection sharing is to be reinitiated, and wherein the access rights for the Internet connection sharing are determined to be valid if the at least one identifier stored at the first computing device corresponds to the one or more identifiers retrieved from the second computing device.

10. The first computing device of claim 7 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to:
receive map data from a resource via the network connection sharing session;
interpret the map data to generate one or more navigational instructions; and
deliver the one or more navigational instructions through an output device.

11. The first computing device of claim 7 , wherein the second computing device is further configured to control one or more security features of a vehicle.

12. The first computing device of claim 11 , wherein controlling one or more security features of the vehicle comprises:
receiving one or more alerts from one or more services via the network connection sharing session; and
taking one or more actions based on the one or more alerts.

13. A first computing device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the first computing device to
initiate a network connection sharing session between the first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the network connection sharing session enables the second computing device to function as a host to provide the first computing device access to a network;
determine a distance between the first computing device and the second computing device based on location data obtained from a location device, wherein the distance is used only for determining disconnecting or reinitiating the Internet connection sharing session;
determine that the network connection sharing session is to be disconnected;
disable the network access with the second computing device in response to determining that the network connection sharing ses

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Jiang Naiyi
• Zhu Robert
• Zhou Qian
• Chin Ying N

Classifications

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title